Council buys Bishop Auckland shopping centre for town regeneration

The Newgate Centre sits in the middle of Bishop Auckland

The £3.31m purchase of a shopping centre by a council will help revitalise a town, the authority has claimed.

Durham County Council has bought the Newgate Centre in Bishop Auckland as part of a wider regeneration plan.

Deputy leader Richard Bell said the council was "working extremely hard" to attract new businesses.

The council has already secured more than £50m of government funding for projects in the town.

Mr Bell said the move was a "significant investment for the council and the first time we have purchased such a development".

He described the Newgate Centre as a "key part of regeneration plans" and said it was "crucial" it provided a "viable and attractive offer" to "revitalise Bishop Auckland and create a vibrant and inviting town centre".

A council representative said there were plans to improve the building's interior and exterior.

The move comes after £19.9m from the government's Future High Streets Fund was sourced to build a new bus station, more car parking and bring vacant properties back into use.

A further £33.2m is coming from the government's Stronger Towns Fund, with the funding allocated to regeneration projects across the town.

In addition, schemes are being carried out by The Auckland Project including the opening of galleries and refurbishment of Auckland Castle.

The wider goal is to attract 1.5 million visitors to Bishop Auckland a year, bringing in £240m and creating almost 4,000 jobs.